


Everything Sunny

by blynninja



Category: Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: Confessions, F/M, Other, also kari, kind of, tai is helpful, tk thinks too much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-06-24 15:16:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15633327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blynninja/pseuds/blynninja
Summary: TK tells Kari how he feels.





	1. Confession

**Author's Note:**

> IDK what else to say, yo. I started this thing like four years ago and wanted it out of my Word docs.
> 
> That said, my notes from 2014:  
> Started rewatching Digimon (English dub) and being disappointed in the epilogue and reading fanfiction.  
> Happened to be listening to Spotify and this song stuck.  
> Inspired partly by _The Way it Should Be_ by Tsubasa Hane, _Light and Lies_ by KDN89, and _Big Brothers_ by AllTheseRandomFandoms, as well as Dee Henderson’s **Full Disclosure.**  
>  I’m setting this when they’re in high school because reasons.  
> English names and terms because I grew up on the dub.  
> Obviously not mine or the epilogue would’ve been different.

_Love at first sight is an understatement, honey_  
_You came in my life and now everything is sunny_  
[…]  
_Hold you close; I won’t let you go_  
_Girl just lettin’ you know_  
_That we’ll be together forevermore_

_Synths I Met You;_ The Sota Boys

xxxxxxxx

Kari was Light, that much was true.

Ever since she had first joined the DigiDestined, TK had known she was special.

And it wasn’t just because she was Tai’s sister, or that there was finally another kid his age in the group, or that her being a part of their adventures felt so right and natural.

It was simply because Kari was … well, Kari.

It helped that she kept proving that she was their Light, being possessed by that whatever-it-was and then glowing and freeing the Numemon down in the sewers.

She was always thinking of others before herself.

The Numemon, Andromon when he’d been possessed by a Black Gear, and plenty of other times came to mind when he thought of it.

When someone was struggling, Kari always knew what to say to bring them back to themselves and find a silver lining.

When she had vanished into that Dark world, not once but twice, TK had marveled at how the Child of Light could be drawn to a place so opposite of her very self. Both times a panic had come over him, because he might never see her again, and Hope can’t go on for very long without Light. It felt so unnatural to be without her for even a few hours sometimes.

Davis was jealous of their relationship, even though they weren’t really dating or anything, but sometimes TK wondered if they were supposed to be together.

Hope and Light just go together, you know?

Azulongmon had told them that “the Light inside is Hope,” and that Hope and Light were different from the other Crests, that Hope still shines even in the darkness. TK had kept that revelation in the back of his mind since that day, pondering it periodically.

It seemed even more plausible when he thought about their Digimon. Their partners’ Ultimate forms were so similar, and their Armor Digivolutions worked together with that Golden Noose attack.

It was like it was fate that they come together and stay together.

Kari wasn’t only the Child of Light; he had realized she was a light in their lives as well—and his life specifically.

She made his life a lot better, kept him grounded, knew how to make him laugh and smile. She knew him better than most people, and sometimes he thought she knew him better than he knew himself.

So why _weren’t_ they together?

Probably because neither of them had acted on the idea, for fear of ruining their friendship.

Sure, he protected her and she kept him grounded.

But that was as far as their relationship had gone in these last several years.

Well, that was about to change.

Even if Kari didn’t feel the same— _But how could she not?_ he reminded himself—they would still be Light and Hope. It was who they were, regardless of their feelings or the outcome of the conversation he was crafting his half of.

The words had to be just right so that she would understand and hopefully agree.

He had already spent hours on it, but he still wasn’t totally satisfied. He had thought about asking Matt or Sora for help, but wasn’t sure how they would react. He hadn’t even asked Tai yet, which Patamon insisted wasn’t that big of a deal at this point, but TK knew the importance of an older brother’s approval. He would have to do that first.

When he was satisfied he knew what he was going to say to Tai, at least, TK sent the older Kamiya a text and crossed his fingers.

Within minutes he had an answer:

_Kari’s not here. Stop by now if you want._

Well, it was now or never, really.

The Child of Hope held out hope that courage wouldn’t fail him and found himself knocking on Tai’s door what felt like seconds later.

“Hey, TK. Come on in,” Tai said, and TK heard the tone of suspicion in his friend’s voice. 

Bracing himself for the inevitable freak-out, TK took a breath, stared straight into Tai’s face, and said quickly, “I wanted to ask you if it’s okay to ask Kari out. She’s really important to me and I promise I won’t try to hurt her and it’s okay if you hate me and say no.”

He dropped his gaze to the floor and braced for the assault, but Tai’s fists stayed clenched at his sides.

TK blinked as Tai laughed. “I wondered when this was coming.”

TK could only stare, and Tai explained with a smile, “Dude, I know how much you and Kari care about each other. It was only a matter of time before you asked to date her. I’m actually kind of surprised you waited this long. Matt told me you’ve been scribbling out versions of some speech for a while now, so I knew it was gonna be soon.”

“And you’re not… you’re not mad?” TK asked, frowning.

“Of course not!” Tai declared. “You’re a better fit for her than a lot of the other dummies that have asked.”

TK sighed in relief and reached to shake Tai’s hand, glad this part was over.

“I know you wouldn’t intentionally hurt my sister,” Tai said cheerfully, and TK grinned, but Tai’s expression turned dangerous and his grip tightened as he continued, “But if you do manage to hurt her, you’re dead.”

TK blanched, though he had expected such a threat, and Tai laughed. “Just kidding! But seriously, if you break her heart I’ll probably break your face.”

TK chuckled nervously and rubbed his hand, praying he never did anything to incur Tai’s wrath.

“Relax, kid. You’ll be fine. You and Kari are basically soul mates anyway. If she says no, she’s crazy.”

Tai winked at him and added, “And then maybe I’ll have to knock some sense into her.”

TK smiled, and Tai pulled him into a hug.

“So… permission granted?” TK asked hopefully.

“Permission granted,” Tai confirmed as he let go of the younger boy. “Go find your girl, kid.”

-x-

They were staring out to sea in the exact spot where TK had entered the Dark Ocean world to save Kari. Despite the bad memories, TK had to smile at the location.

Slowly, he walked up to them, and his footsteps caught Gatomon’s attention first. She turned without alerting Kari and they shared a nod before Gatomon went to join Patamon near the tree line.

TK stepped up next to Kari, brushing his shoulder against hers. Kari started, and then smiled when she noticed him. “Hi, TK.”

There was that infectious joy and that twinkle in her eye, which were all the encouragement he needed.

“Kari, there’s something I’ve been meaning to say.”

She looked at him curiously, and he launched into what he’d come here to tell her.

“Ever since you joined the DigiDestined as our eighth child, I feel like life is better. A part of the team was missing, and then you came along and we were whole. And more importantly, _my_ life got better. It was like you joining the team filled a hole in my life. And every adventure into the Digital World with you since then has made that hole smaller. When you disappeared into the Dark Ocean world, and I thought I’d lost you, the hole started to form again. It was like all the light in the world had dimmed, and would never be bright again. And when that portal opened, I knew I had to reach you, had to bring back the light.”

TK paused for a moment to gauge Kari’s reaction, but she still wore that same curious look from the start of his speech. Great.

“Remember when Azulongmon told us about the Crests of Hope and Light? That we’re different from the others, and that Light and Hope are kind of connected?”

Kari blinked, and then nodded, and TK continued.

“That’s how it feels when we’re together: connected. And when you disappeared, even for a couple of hours, I felt so disconnected from everything. It was like without your light, my hope dimmed, too. It wasn’t totally gone, but it wasn’t nearly as bright as usual. And I don’t ever want to feel like that again. I…”

TK took a breath and then confided, “I want to try being more than just friends.”

He let that sink in for a moment, watching Kari’s face as she absorbed what this meant. He could see the thoughts swirling through her head; he knew how difficult it was for her to voice an opinion right away with very little thought.

“I’ll… give you a little time to think about it, okay?” he suggested, setting a hand on her shoulder. “I know you need some time to consider things, but know that I won’t hate you if you say no. Go home, think about it, talk to Tai, whatever you need to do.”

TK smiled brightly, though he didn’t feel very bright, and Kari nodded slowly.

“Come find me when you’re ready, okay?”

And with all the hope he could muster, he turned and left Kari to her thoughts.

-x-x-

Tai had seen this expression enough times to know that what his little sister needed right now was a cup of tea and some advice. He had been making himself some tea already, so that was easy, but the advice part had been a hunch.

He set a mug of tea in front of his shell-shocked little sister and sat down across from her, ready to dispense older brother knowledge.

“Why did he have to ask, Tai?”

That was not the first question he had anticipated, and it halfway surprised him that Kari seemed to know that he knew what she was talking about, and Tai scrambled for a response.

“What do you mean?” he asked as he wrapped a hand around his mug.

“Our friendship is fine the way it is. Our team is fine. If we try changing that and it doesn’t work, it will ruin things.”

Good old Kari, always thinking of others first. Tai sighed.

“Kari, did you even listen to what TK told you today?”

She looked at him quizzically. “What? Of course I did. How did you—”

“Oh come on, Kari, I’ve watched you guys grow up together. I have a good idea how TK feels,” Tai replied easily, then grinned. “Plus Matt’s seen him scribbling that little speech for months now. Older brothers keep each other in the loop about their little siblings.”

Kari frowned at her tea. “Well, I think he’s crazy for wanting to ruin a good thing.”

“Kari, don’t be ridiculous. You wouldn’t be ruining anything,” Tai said firmly, and Kari looked up at him.

“How do you know?”

“Because I know the two of you,” Tai replied softly. “I know that you get along well, that you’re best friends, that you’re connected not just because you’re the two youngest of our original group, but because your Crests are connected.”

“That’s what TK said,” Kari sighed.

“Well, he’s not wrong,” Gatomon put in, hopping up onto the table. “Just look at me and Patamon. We work really well together, and I think it’s because it’s meant to be.”

Kari put her head in her hands and mumbled, “But I like the way things are _now_.”

“Well then, tell TK that. He’ll understand, and he’ll respect your decision. But I know you better than that, and so does he,” Tai replied, crossing his arms as Kari looked at him again. “I know you’re scared, Kari, but TK won’t hurt you. He won’t make this as big of a deal as you’re thinking he will. It’ll be pretty much exactly like things are now, except that you’ll be able to call him your boyfriend.”

Kari ducked her head, but Tai had seen the blush. “See? I know you, Kari. I know that you’re worried, but honestly, TK already treats you better than any other moron who’s asked you out. I know you want to just stay friends, but I’ll have you know that I get asked at least twice a week if TK is your boyfriend, and if you don’t finally let me say yes to that question, I will be very disappointed.”

Kari looked up at him in surprise, and he smiled. “Think about it a little more and then go find TK. I have a feeling you’ll know where to find him when you’re ready.”

Kari sighed heavily, and Tai chuckled as he stood. His sister needed time alone, and he needed to go fold some laundry.

-x-x-

The weight lifting off of his hat that was Patamon joining Gatomon alerted TK to Kari’s arrival, and he chose to stay where he was, watching passersby from the area in the TV station where they had first encountered Wizardmon. It was sort of a strange location to wait for a response to the question he had asked, but it was the first place that TK had realized how special Kari was, and he figured the symbolism was worth the shot.

Of course, the spot held a different meaning for Kari, but the symbolism risk was worth it. And maybe now it would hold another, happier, meaning.

Kari joined him at the window and he felt her shiver as the memories resurfaced; for a second he almost regretted this idea, but he steeled himself and slipped off his coat to wrap it around her.

They were silent for a few moments, reminiscing, TK supposed, before Kari commented quietly, “Tai was right.”

“About what?” TK asked, watching Kari’s reflection in the window as she pulled his coat more snuggly onto her shoulders.

“That you already treat me better than most of the guys who want to go out with me.”

TK snorted. “Well, that’s not hard. They’re all idiots who don’t know how to be _friends_ with a girl, let alone be a boyfriend.”

Kari smiled, but TK could tell it was weak and forced. He looked at her reflection carefully and asked, “What else did Tai say?”

“That you know what you’re doing and won’t hurt me,” she replied quietly, turning her head to glance at him.

TK smiled warmly back at her. “Well, he’s right. I’ve thought about it a lot, and I think I know what I’m doing. But I’ve known you a long time. What do _you_ think?”

Kari sighed heavily and her shoulders drooped.

“I know he’s right. But I’m worried.”

“Of course you are,” TK chuckled.

Kari glared at him and he raised his hands in defense. “It’s a good thing, Kari. When you worry, I know you’re thinking seriously about it. I know that you worry because you care, and that’s something that people love about you.”

Kari was silent for a moment, probably thinking hard about her next comment, and TK waited patiently.

“Why are we up here?”

That was an easy answer.

“Because this isn’t just the place you lost Wizardmon. It’s where he returned to find you and Gatomon, even if it was just for a minute. And that reminds me of almost losing you those times. But like Wizardmon, you came back to me.”

Kari looked up at him suddenly, her gaze soft, and he smiled. “It’s okay if you’re worried. And it’s okay if you need more time to think. But since you found me, I’m guessing you have an answer.”

Kari took what he assumed was a steadying breath before she turned to face him. To his surprise and great relief, she hugged him tightly, and he almost missed her reply.

“Okay. Let’s try it.”

TK let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and hugged her back, nearly laughing in relief.

Patamon and Gatomon joined them in a flash, different exclamations leaving them at the same time.

“It’s about time!”

“Who’s telling Davis?”

Kari put a hand to her mouth as though she’d just realized they would have to deal with Davis’s reaction along with the others’, and TK frowned. “Well, thanks, Patamon.”

His partner shrugged his wings. “Well, someone has to!”

“And we’ll deal with that tomorrow,” TK insisted gently, squeezing Kari’s hand. “For now, let’s just watch the sunset, okay?”

Kari smiled and leaned into him, nodding against his chest.

“Tomorrow,” she agreed.


	2. Reactions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part two-ish.  
> Because you can’t ask ‘who’s gonna tell Davis’ and then not have that reaction.  
> And also because words plagued me for many hours until I was able to sit down and type. At 11:15 at night. Until like 1am. And then the next couple days.

They had gathered at the Kamiyas’ while Mr. and Mrs. Kamiya were out for the weekend, figuring that the announcement would better be held where Kari was comfortable and while parents weren’t available to witness the commotion it would likely cause.

And commotion it caused.

Sora and Yolei, predictably, squealed and demanded details. Mimi, with whom they were video chatting, chimed in with excited ramblings of her own before Izzy muted the computer with a heavy sigh.

Cody, Joe, and Izzy sat and watched the commotion, having figured that this would be coming soon. Ken was sitting near them, mostly so that he wouldn’t be dragged into the jump-up-and-down-and-cry-happy-tears party that was Yolei and Sora celebrating.

Matt and Tai, of course, had known this was coming and watched their siblings turn red with embarrassment proudly.

Davis’s reaction was … not what they had predicted. He was shell-shocked, as assumed, but something about Kari and TK officially being a couple and holding hands had him seething, and after a few minutes he walked up to TK and unceremoniously punched him in the face.

The girls shrieked, the boys stared, and Davis raised his arm for another punch…

…which connected instead with Kari’s cheek as she stepped around TK to stop the blow.

There was a collective gasp from the group, and to their surprise, Kari scowled and smacked Davis hard across the face before turning and fleeing into her bedroom.

TK rushed to the bedroom door, scowling when he realized it was locked. “Come on, Kari, let me in!”

The bearers of Courage and Friendship rounded on their protégé, Tai crying, “You hit my sister!” as Matt added, “And my brother!”

It took both Izzy and Joe to pull Matt off of Davis, but a look from Sora brought Tai back to himself.

“Looks like I’m climbing over balconies again, because _someone_ made my sister lock herself in her room,” he growled, glaring at Davis before he stepped onto the living room balcony. Gatomon followed, a bag of vegetables she had hastily grabbed from the freezer clutched in her paws.

Matt was calm enough now to stare Davis in the face and declare, “I’m not sure you deserve the DigiEgg of Friendship. OR the DigiEgg of Courage.”

Davis looked taken aback, as did the others as they pondered the thought, and TK chimed in as he turned to face Davis, “If you can’t handle Kari’s decision _and respect it_ , then you’re not being a true friend.”

Fuming, Davis picked up the nearest pillow and punted it toward TK’s head, though TK dodged it easily, which only made Davis angrier.

Matt sighed and leaned over to Sora as Davis grabbed another pillow. “Make sure they don’t break anything expensive. I’m going outside.”

He stepped out onto the balcony and looked to the adjoining one, where Tai was kneeling in front of Kari’s door. Gatomon was with him, but the bag in her paws was drooping as it lost its ice and she leapt back over the railings to return it to the freezer, leaving the boys alone.

“How’s it going?” Matt asked as he lifted himself over the dividing wall to join his friend.

“I asked Gatomon to Lightning Paw her way in, but she pointed out that Mom and Dad wouldn’t like the broken glass very much,” Tai sighed, raising his voice a little as he added, “But I know Kari can hear me, so that’s a start. How’s it going in there?”

“Oh, TK’s being used as a goal for whatever Sora will let Davis kick,” Matt replied just as loudly, shrugging casually.

Kari looked up suddenly at that and he added quickly, “So far it’s just pillows!”

Kari frowned and put her head back down on her pillow and Matt sighed. “I never expected Davis to hit her.”

“Well, to be fair, he was going for your brother and Kari stepped in the way,” Tai pointed out with a smirk.

“Still, he shouldn’t have been punching anybody,” Matt said diplomatically, crouching down next to Tai.

“Eh, a little violence now and then is good for morale. Remember that time you and I beat each other up?” Tai grinned.

“That was different. We weren’t fighting over a _girl_ ,” Matt reminded him with a smirk.

“True, but fighting helped us become better friends, right?”

Matt sighed. “Yes, it did.”

\--

“TK should’ve been goalie for the soccer team instead of playing basketball,” Cody decided.

“I mean, a soccer ball is different from a pillow, but sure, he could be a goalie,” Joe agreed with a laugh, and Ken nodded. “Yeah, if he could catch a soccer ball like he’s catching those pillows, he’d be a great goalie.”

“Considering that pillows and soccer balls are different materials and weights,” Izzy began, but a look from Yolei told him that facts were unwelcome right now and he shut up. Mimi probably would have done the same thing, but he had ended their call and put the laptop away for fear of it being hit by a stray projectile, even it was just a pillow.

“Oh, Davis,” Sora sighed, exasperated. “You should ask Tai about when Matt and I started dating.”

Davis paused in the middle of a kick and looked at her. “What about it?”

With a small smile, Sora began the story herself.

“Tai hadn’t realized that I liked Matt until that night at the concert, but he accepted it gracefully and even encouraged me to go after Matt, even though it hurt him to say it. It took a lot of courage for him to accept my decision, but I’m glad he did, because Matt and I are really happy together. If Tai hadn’t reacted the way he did, I might have felt really badly and not gotten together with Matt out of guilt over Tai’s response. Instead I was able to be with Matt without worrying about being hated, and I’m so glad it has all worked out,” Sora explained.

Davis’s face fell as the story sunk in and started to make sense, but he still glared at TK, who had turned to knock on Kari’s door again.

“Well, I’m not Tai!” Davis declared stubbornly, and sprinted from the apartment, not even bothering to put his shoes back on.

Sora sighed again. “Well, I tried.”

“Just give him some time,” Ken suggested knowingly. “He’ll come back around when he’s ready.”

\--

Out on the balcony, Tai and Matt had finally gotten Kari to open the sliding door and join them outside.

“Davis hates me,” she said glumly, leaning against the door.

“Oh, you knew that was a possible reaction,” Matt replied like it was no big deal.

“Yeah, Kari, come on. Give him a week to adjust and he’ll be back to normal.”

Kari looked at Tai skeptically and Matt jumped in: “With Davis, try a month or two.”

“Yeah, what Matt said,” Tai agreed with a sheepish grin. “But seriously, Kari, he’ll be fine. He just needs time to realize that he’s not right for you and move on. Remember how I was after Sora finally decided she wanted to be with Matt?”

Kari stared at him sadly. “You stayed in bed for four days straight.”

“But I bounced back!” Tai insisted as Matt eyed him curiously. “It just took a little time to get used to the idea and then it was fine. Plus we had just done all that world traveling to save the DigiWorld…”

“If you call pretending your soccer ball was Matt’s face for a month _fine_ , then sure,” Kari said morosely.

“Oh come on! It won’t be _your_ face! It’ll be TK’s!” Tai tried, ignoring Matt’s glare.

Kari sighed. “I knew we shouldn’t have done this. Now we’ve messed everything up.”

Tai looked to Matt for help and the bearer of Friendship sighed.

“Kari, my brother is in love with you. I think he has been since you joined the DigiDestined. He knew what he was getting himself into when he asked you to be his girlfriend. He’s _been_ thinking about it for _years_. He’s willing to take whatever life--and Davis--throws at him—literally—because he thinks it’s worth it to be with you,” Matt said firmly, and Kari stared at him, tears welling up.

“If you’re not sure, then you shouldn’t have said yes. TK will wait as long as it takes for you; I know you know that. Compared to that, Davis coming around is nothing. And we all know that even waiting a few more years doesn’t guarantee that Davis will be any more willing to accept you guys being together. Get it over with now.”

“Just… don’t call each other stupid nicknames or, like, make out in front of him,” Tai cautioned, looking both amused and repulsed at once. “Come to think of it, don’t do that in front of me, either.”

Matt rolled his eyes and looked back at Kari, extending a hand as he stood up.  
“What do you say, Kari? Are you ready for this, or not?”

Slowly, Kari reached for his hand, and Matt smiled. “Thata girl.”

“Oh no,” Tai groaned, looking down at the street. Matt glanced over in time to see Davis running away from the building, and both big brothers turned to keep Kari from poking her head over the rail, but she had seen.

She had seen, and she was crying over it.

“Aw, come on, Kari! Maybe his parents need him to come home right away!” Tai suggested as Matt leaned over the dividing rail. 

“TK!” he barked, “GET OUT HERE! YOUR GIRLFRIEND NEEDS YOU!”

In moments, TK was on the other balcony, hurtling himself over the railing and to Kari’s side, and Matt wondered briefly why he hadn’t done that in the first place.

“Man, I wish we’d gotten that on tape,” Tai remarked cheerfully, impressed.

“What’s wrong?” TK demanded. “Kari, have you been crying this whole time? Why didn’t you unlock the door?”

Kari shook her head, unable to speak because of the tears, and Tai explained, “We just saw Davis running down the street. Was he wearing shoes?”

“No, he didn’t put his shoes back on, the dummy,” TK replied, explaining, “Sora told him something about when she and Matt started dating, and then said he wasn’t you and ran away.”

Matt and Tai exchanged glances. “Ah.”

Kari fixed them with a stare that made Matt unsure of what to say next.

Tai and TK must have known the look, though, and both knew what to say.

“Kari, it’s not your fault,” they said in unison, and Matt would have laughed if it hadn’t been such a serious conversation.

Kari nodded vigorously and Tai sighed. “It is not,” he insisted. “Stop blaming yourself. Davis needs an attitude adjustment.”

Kari was shaking her head and looked like she was in actual physical pain, even though nothing had harmed her that Matt could tell.

TK blanched as he watched Kari clutch her head, apparently familiar with this practice.

“NO!” he declared, gripping Kari’s arms. “I’m NOT going to lose you to the darkness again! You need to stop doubting yourself!”

Kari didn’t seem to hear him, and TK grew frantic, pleading with her to think happy thoughts and come back to him.

Matt and Tai exchanged confused glances as the living room balcony filled with their friends, who had finally come out to see what was going on.

Ken and Yolei recognized the scene immediately and leaned on the railing, watching anxiously, Yolei muttering about how Kari was stronger than this thing.

Gatomon leaped over the railing to Kari’s side, her pleading joining TK’s as Kari wrestled with whatever this was.

Fed up with losing Kari to darkness and not knowing what else to do, TK slid his hands over Kari’s and pressed his forehead to hers, hoping the physical contact would startle her out of darkness.

Immediately, a light burst from his heart and found its way to Kari’s chest, where it spread out to encompass her whole body, as well as his. 

The others looked on in awe, several of the older DigiDestined flooded with memories of something like this happening before. The newer group members hadn’t experienced this before, but knew something incredible was happening.

As they watched, Cody recalled quietly, “Hope shines in the darkness.”

The others turned to look at him, Joe wondering aloud, “What are you talking about, Cody?”

“Something Azulongmon told us once,” Cody replied. “He said that Hope and Light are different from the other Crests.”

“We kind of already knew that,” Joe pointed out.

“Well, he also said that ‘the light inside is hope.’ I think he meant that they are more connected than we think, that they give each other power or something,” Cody continued, and Izzy put a hand to his chin, thinking.

“I think you may be right, Cody. It makes sense to me, especially considering right now. When each of us received our Crests, it was because we proved the traits they embodied. When you guys received your second DigiEggs, it was because you proved that you were ready for them and could use the traits they represented.”

“And Angemon was first able to Digivolve to MagnaAngemon when TK had hope that we would find a way to beat Piedmon and the other Dark Masters,” Matt remarked from TK’s side.

“And the first time Kari started fading like this, TK was the only one who was able to find her, like they were connected,” Cody reminded the group. “He wouldn’t give up on her, and it opened some kind of portal so he was able to save her.”

“So… TK having hope that Kari will beat this…whatever…helps her light stay strong?” Yolei guessed, frowning.

“That’s the theory, and it appears that it’s being proven,” Izzy confirmed, and they looked back at Kari and TK, who were both still shining.

“Aw, man, I just can’t catch a break, can I?!”

Everyone turned to see Davis behind them on the balcony, crestfallen.

“What are _you_ doing back here?” Tai asked reproachfully. “Weren’t you running away from your problems?”

“…I came back to get my shoes and noticed everybody was out here panicking, so I had to come see what was going on,” Davis explained lamely, staring at the ground.

“Well, maybe that was a good thing,” Ken suggested quietly, and Yolei glanced curiously at him.

Davis was staring at the light show that was TK and Kari, who turned to the group as the light faded from TK and Kari grew brighter.

She faced the group, started to speak, and suddenly the light disappeared. Kari swayed on the spot, and a now-alert TK reached to catch her.

Tai rushed to Kari’s other side and Matt turned to face the rest of them. “Davis, you need to be more careful.”

Everybody blinked, and Davis crossed his arms, pouting. “Why?”

Matt’s reply was soft, but edged with anger: “Because you’re part of the reason Kari started panicking just now.”

“What? Me???” Davis looked incredulous, his jaw dropping.

“Yeah, you, Goggle Head,” Tai chimed in, standing as he continued angrily, “You got mad, and Kari doesn’t like making people upset, so she panicked and started convincing herself that you hate her.”

“It’s a good thing TK was around to calm her back down,” Matt added, “Or we might have had a problem.”

Davis was trembling as he stepped toward the railing. 

“TK, TK, TK! Is that all you guys care about?!” he exploded, to the group’s surprise. “It’s always _TK this_ and _Kari and TK that._ It’s so annoying!”

He continued ranting, but was largely ignored by the group.

“Dude, it’s been like six years,” Matt sighed. “Isn’t it time to get over it now?”

“Yeah, Davis, grudges aren’t attractive,” Tai added with a frown, and Yolei nodded in agreement.

“Davis, this was what I was talking about,” Sora chided gently as Davis stopped talking. “In a way, the Crest of Light and the Crest of Love are the same. Kari and I both feel things very strongly, and that includes negative emotions. Because we keep things inside a lot, that negativity tends to cause problems. But Kari feels things on a deeper level than I do, and negativity affects her worse than it does me. When she gets upset, or when someone she loves is in trouble or upset with her, her connection to the darkness causes huge problems.”

“I’ve seen it too,” Yolei put in. “When we were lost before we DNA Digivolved together, Kari got like that. She panicked when the Dark Ocean appeared, worried that we would never find our way home again, that she wasn’t strong enough to beat the darkness. It took me slapping her to knock her out of it and for us to figure out how to work together for Silphymon to show up and defeat that Blossommon and return us to the real world. When she feels negative emotions, she _really_ feels them.”

“So you see, Davis, you need to realize that what you say and how you react can really affect Kari. You don’t want her to panic and start disappearing on us again, do you?” Tai asked, staring hard at his teammate, his fists clenched at his sides. It was a wonder that Davis hadn’t already realized this, he mused.

“No, of course not!” Davis sputtered. “But—”

“But _nothing_ ,” TK said suddenly, glowering. He had quietly sunk to the ground, cradling Kari in his lap. 

“Until you can stop being jealous and start at least _pretending_ to be okay with this, Kari is going to keep blaming herself, no matter how hard I try to keep her from doing it. She’ll worry that she’s being selfish and ruining our team and that things will never be normal again. And while she’s sort of right about the normal part, the only one making things awkward and ruining the team dynamic is _you_ and your selfish jealousy!”

Everyone fell silent at that, and Davis stood at the railing between balconies, gripping the railing tightly.

“I guess I can’t really blame you for being jealous,” TK confessed quietly after a beat, lifting his head to watch Davis. “But it’s been years. She’s made her choice. Accept it and move on. Be the leader we know you are and have the courage to just be friends.”

To everyone’s surprise, Davis’s shoulders began to shake, and tears dripped onto the railing. “I just thought that if I kept waiting, she would like me as much as she likes you. I thought she would see…”

“See anyone besides TK?” Cody asked from beside him. “Come on, Davis. We’ve known from day one that they share a bond. You trying to be TK isn’t going to change that.”

Davis let go of the railing and wiped his face with his sleeve, smiling weakly. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I just didn’t want to think about it.”

He locked eyes with TK and promised, “I’ll try to be happy for you guys. I promise not to beat you up again or intentionally make Kari panic.”

TK nodded, and as if on cue, Kari stirred, blinking up at him.

“Hey, lady. You had us all pretty worried,” TK greeted her gently, and Kari frowned.

“Is Davis still mad at me?”

“Of course not!” Davis called, waving. “No worries, Kari, I was just practicing for our next soccer match! Gotta keep in shape, you know!”

“By punching people?” Yolei asked quietly, frowning at her so-called leader.

“Kari might not remember that part,” Ken pointed out in a whisper.

“But … you hit TK. And then me.” Kari looked confused.

“Nah, that was a good luck punch!” Davis insisted, looking to the others for backup.

“Yeah, he just got a little over-excited,” Ken chimed in in his defense, smiling at Kari reassuringly. “He does that sometimes to me, too, when I make a really good goal in games.”

Kari looked skeptical, but the others nodded their assent and Kari asked, “Why are we all out here?”

“We were admiring the stars!” Izzy lied immediately, although it was half-true.

“Yeah!” Joe chimed in. “Izzy was telling us all about the constellations and stuff!” Which he had been… Yesterday.

“And there was a shooting star that was really great!” Yolei added. Also not a complete lie. “We all made wishes. You must have fallen asleep or something.”

Tai and TK exchanged looks, and Tai declared hastily, “Let’s all go back inside and find some dessert! I think there’s some ice cream in the freezer or something.”

He and Matt hopped over the railing and ushered the others into the living room, though TK, Kari, and Davis stayed where they were, Kari glancing between the two boys curiously. “What _really_ happened?”

TK looked at Davis pointedly and he blurted, “OKAY! I got jealous and hit TK and then you got hit too and then you hit me and locked yourself in your room and then Tai came out here to talk to you, and Sora and the others tried to talk to me but I was being stupid and ran away, and then you panicked and went all Dark Ocean again and TK had to convince you that I wasn’t mad at you, and I’m really sorry.”

He looked down at the ground and Kari sighed.

“That’s better.”

Davis peered at her apologetically. “I didn’t mean to make you sad. I was being dumb, but I’m okay now. I’m glad you guys are together. I know you make each other happy, and it was selfish of me to be jealous of that.”

With that, he bowed briefly and headed hastily back into the living room.

“I _told_ you,” Kari began, but TK put a hand over her mouth. “He doesn’t hate you. He maybe hates me, but never you. He just needs time to get used to it.” 

Kari looked unconvinced, but TK insisted, “Just trust me, okay? He’s Courage and Friendship. He’ll be back to normal in a few weeks. I promise.”

Kari sighed but smiled back at him, nodding. “Okay. We’ll see.”

TK beamed back at her. “Great. Now can we go back inside? It’s cold out here.”

“There’s another shooting star,” Kari pointed, and TK turned in time to see it too.

“Make a wish,” he said quietly, an arm around her shoulder.

They were silent for a moment, and then Kari leaned into him.

“I think my wish already came true.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t even know where half of this came from. It just sort of … showed up as I kept typing.  
> Chapter One notes:   
> I know it seems kind of odd to be that formal about asking someone to date you, but blame it on me watching too much 19 Kids and Counting or something. I feel like TK would want to give Kari the reasoning why he wants to be her boyfriend, and the option to say no. Idk.
> 
> The “time to think about it” thing came partly from Full Disclosure and partly from the fact that Kari keeps to herself (said in the DNA Digivolve episode with Yolei) and probably takes a lot of time to think about things, especially important things like this would be.  
> Symbolism idea because I like the epilogue’s portrayal of TK as a writer.   
> “Ultimate forms” being MagnaAngemon and Angewomon.
> 
> Chapter Two notes:  
> Matt + Sora because it worked well for the conversation with Davis, neh? (Though after reading a Scribbler fic I’m rethinking. Haha.)  
> I know that Kari tells TK after the thing with Yolei that he won’t lose her to the darkness again, but… meh. I wanted to see if it made sense for her to encounter it again. I like the part in “His Master’s Voice” where TK scolds Kari for doubting herself and comparing herself to Tai (in the sub; the dub dialogue is a little different but the basic idea is the same). Also the part in the episode where Silphymon appears when Yolei has to snap Kari out of her funk about how she’s not strong enough to fight the darkness. I might have stolen part of this idea from _And the Worst of Nightmares_ , making it more of an internal struggle for Kari than the Dark Ocean actually pulling at her.  
> Kari always gets exhausted after the light stuff, but I wanted TK to still be conscious for some of it, so she takes most of the light and he’s good. It made sense in my head.  
> Haha. Crestfallen. See what I did there? Tee hee.  
> Also, Matt being diplomatic. I thought about changing that to Tai, but I kind of liked the flow I had better with Matt saying it.


End file.
